Football is here for real now

Wednesday

Aug 21, 2013 at 12:02 AM

Preparations for the 2013 high school football season have been underway informally for months with spring and summer workouts but the clock started ticking for real when the jamborees were over Friday night.

mike duprez

Preparations for the 2013 high school football season have been underway informally for months with spring and summer workouts but the clock started ticking for real when the jamborees were over Friday night.It means the routine is back.Coaches typically meet with their opponents on Saturday to swap game film. Then they gather their staffs on Sunday to watch the footage and formulate a game plan. Finally, there is practice beginning on Monday to prepare for Friday's game. That part may be routine but it's a new year and county fans will note some changes beginning with Friday's opening games.Lexington opens the Chuck Henderson era against Monroe at Philpott Memorial Stadium. Whew. Talk about hitting the ground running. Monroe is new to the 2-A ranks after a long run as a 1-A superpower. Monroe is always loaded with athletes and this year should be no different. But the Redhawks are having to replace a lot of their statistical leaders from last year as is Lexington. So there's a lot of the unknown in this one.North Davidson hosts Thomasville with somewhat of a new look after graduating 31 seniors. But the reloading Black Knights have defensive giant Shy Tuttle, who has offers from two-time defending national champion Alabama, Ohio State and just about every other BCS school, and is still only a junior. Khylil Miller is the new quarterback and expectations are high for him. The biggest question surrounding Thomasville is who's going to get the ball and become a 2,000-yard rusher. Somebody will. That's the Thomasville way.Central Davidson is retaining the double wing offense under new head coach Chad Tedder as it moves forward without career-leading tailback Saig Skeen. The Spartans still have a huge offensive line, which is vital to making the double wing work. They'll need to find a replacement for Skeen, who could run over and away from people. That could be Desmond Mabe, who was a fullback last season.Bryan Lingerfelt is the new coach at West Davidson, though he is hardly new to coaching. Lingerfelt brought the Air Lingerfelt spread offense with him to Tyro after turning to it at East Davidson in recent years. The Dragons open their season at Ledford, which features a powerful running back in George Melvin. It could be a big season for Melvin, who is part of a veteran team. East Davidson travels to South Davidson for an unusual matchup in that both head coaches are making their debuts. East's Vance Hanner is a former Golden Eagle player who is taking over for Lingerfelt. In contrast, Cullen is brand new to South Davidson, a fresh start for a school that has mostly struggled in football. Cullen is aiming to change that."We're both coaching our first varsity game?" Cullen said. "That's cool."Indeed. Let the games begin.Mike Duprez can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 218 or mike.duprez@the-dispatch.com.